


A Mother’s Love

by SongSparrow



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Cute, Cute Ending, Episode: s02e12 Profiler Profiled, Feels, Fran is a good mom, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Sad Derek Morgan, hopefully
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:46:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25207930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SongSparrow/pseuds/SongSparrow
Summary: After the events of Profiler, Profiled, Morgan has to do the last thing he ever wanted to do. He has to tell his mother about Buford.
Relationships: Derek Morgan & Fran Morgan, Past Carl Buford/Derek Morgan
Comments: 10
Kudos: 76





	A Mother’s Love

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve seen a few stories that talk about how Fran found out about Buford, and I decided to try my own. This story does reference sexual abuse, so please read at your own risk.
> 
> This is also my first story, so I would love any tips or constructive criticism you could give me.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own any character or the show, the only thing that is mine are the words.

_“A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly All that stands in its path.” —Agatha Christie_

Morgan’s heart raced as he climbed the stairs to his mothers apartment. Hotch had come up to him after they arrested Buford and told him to go spend time with his family. That they deserved to hear everything from him and not the news.

Of course, this made sense, but the last thing Morgan wanted to do was tell them about Buford. He had kept what Buford did to him a secret because he knew what that would do to them. 

By the time he made it to the door, his blood was rushing in his ears and he felt like he couldn’t breath. He hadn’t even knocked on the door yet and he already felt like he was going to pass out or throw up, maybe both. Rubbing his hands over his face, he began to pace.

He must’ve been walking in front of the door for five minutes before he finally worked up the courage to knock on the door. He raised a shaky fist, hesitating for another second, before lightly tapping on the wood.

As he stood waiting for someone to answer, he thought about bolting. This was his last chance to get away. How bad would it really be if they heard about Buford on the news? It would save him from this heart stopping fear.

But the reporters only knew about the murders Buford had committed. They didn’t know why he had killed Damien, or what was actually happening at the youth center. If Morgan were to back out now, he could leave Chicago with his secret still somewhat intact. But his mother also deserved to know, like Hotch has said. He had spent too long keeping this from her, and it would only hurt her in the long run.

Before Morgan could fully make up his mind, the door opened, making the decision for him. Looking up, he saw the happy face of his mother staring back at him.

“Derek! They let you out!” Fran exclaimed.

Morgan only stood there, his limbs numb with fear, and his heart pounding in his ears.

Fran’s face took on a worried look. “Are you okay Derek? Is there something wrong?”

Morgan shook his head, suddenly feeling detached from his body. “Can I come in?”

“Of course, of course.” She opened the door further and stepped to the side, allowing him access to the room on the other side of the door.

Morgan stood there, feeling as if he had teleported into the room instead of walking there. He was numb to everything as his mother closed the door behind him.

Moving in front of Morgan, Fran looked into her son’s eyes. “Is everything alright? Were they able to catch the man who did this?”

He nodded, “yeah, they caught him.” He gave as little information as he could, hoping he could still get away from the conversation he was going to have.

“Well,” she hesitated, “do you want to talk about it?”

He hesitated too, before nodding. “Can we sit down for this?”

“Of course.” She said, before pulling Morgan to the couch.

They sat there for a couple minutes, neither saying anything. Morgan was working up the courage to say what he needed to and Fran was waiting patiently, worried about what could be so bad that it was making her son act like he was.

Morgan spoke up suddenly, his voice cutting through the silence. “Carl Buford.” 

Stunned, Fran had to take a second to process what he had just said. “...what?”

“He...he was the one that did this.”

“The one that killed Damien?”

Morgan stared at the floor, unable to look at his mother, “not just Damien. He’s been killing boys since I was a kid.”

Fran gasped, her eyes widening, “that boy you found, when you were younger...” her voice trailed off, not able to finish the sentence.

Morgan nodded.

“But, Carl was always so good to you. I can’t believe...”

At that, Morgan looked up, tears forming in his eyes. How was he going to tell her that the man she thought saved his life, actually stole his childhood.

“Mama...” he started, his voice thick, “Mama, he was-wasn’t...” he stopped again, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. The words he had in his mind, the ones he had rehearsed over and over again on the drive over, weren’t forming in his mouth, no matter how hard he tried.

Fran moved closer to him and brought her hand up, rubbing circles on his back, “it’s okay sweetheart, take your time.”

He looked back at the ground, his hands clasped in front of him. The hand on his back steadily moved up and down, and it helped ground him for what he was about to say. “Carl wasn’t as good a man as you thought he was.” Morgan’s voice was barely a whisper.

The hand on his back stopped as Fran realized they weren’t talking about the murders anymore. “What do you mea-“ it was her turn to stop and take a breath, “what did he do?” She asked in a shaky voice.

“Mama, I am so sorry.” Morgan was close to tears, trying to tell her what happened without the strength to say the words, “I didn’t know what to do, and Carl said-he said he would put me back out on the streets if I told. I couldn’t-couldn’t do that to you, not again.” Morgan looked up at her, pleading for her to understand.

“Derek,” his mom was crying now too. She had an idea of what Derek was telling her, but she really, really hoped she was wrong, “what didn’t he want you to tell me?”

“He-he...remember the cabin he would take me to?” Fran nodded, dread filling her, “when we were up there, he would-“ Morgan sighed, trying to build up the courage, “he would do-“ Morgan choked back a sob. He had been able to say it to James, but he was realizing now that telling someone who hadn’t been through the same thing was infinitely harder.

“Derek,” Fran whispered again, deciding to voice her fears, “did he...do things to you?”

Morgan squeezed his eyes closed, unable to look at his mother as he nodded. “I tried-I tried so hard to stop him, Mama. You gotta believe me, I didn’t mean for any of it to happen. I wanted to tell you so bad, but I couldn’t. I was too scared-“

“Shhh, shhh. Baby it’s okay,” Fran said, cutting off his rambling. “None of this is your fault.”

“But Mama, I was the one that let him-“

“Derek Morgan, don’t you dare say that. You are an FBI Profiler, you know it’s never the victims fault.” Fran said, shaking slightly, her voice breaking, “you didn’t _let_ him do anything.”

Her outburst was met with silence. Morgan was still looking at the ground, tears streaming down his face. His time in law enforcement had given him a lot of insight on victims and victim blaming, and he knew he shouldn’t blame himself. But he had never been able to convince himself that it wasn’t his fault, and that was one reason he never told anyone. He was irrationally afraid that they would blame him as well. Hearing his mother shoot down his fears without a second thought was almost too much for him.

Fran noticed this and spoke up in a quieter voice, “hey, it’s okay,” she said again, trying to reassure herself as much as her son.

“I’m sorry.” Morgan whispered, leaning into his mother.

She wrapped her arms around him, in response, “you have nothing to be sorry for.” She whispered back.

They sat there quietly, lost in their own thoughts. Fran was broken inside. After her husband died, she had done everything in her power to give her children the life they deserved. When Derek had found his way to the youth center, she was overjoyed. He was finally able to put his life back together and have a childhood again. Learning that who she thought was his savior was only doing it so he could take advantage of her baby boy, tore her up inside. She had handed her son off to a monster without a second thought.

Morgan was coming to terms with what he had just told his mom as well. He realized that he, himself, hadn’t actually told her much. She had come to the conclusion herself, and he hadn’t told her anything besides that it started when he went to Carl’s cabin.

With that in mind, he decided to try to talk about it again. She deserved to know everything that happened. “I was really excited when he took me up to the cabin the first time.” Morgan whispered, breaking the silence again, “he had told me we were going to the mountains, and there was a lake that we could swim in.”

Fran grimaced, she knew how excited Derek had been to go on that trip. He hadn’t stopped talking about it for weeks before they left. At that point, none of her children had left the city, and she was excited that he had the chance to see something other than the dreary view of the streets. Now she wished she had never let him leave.

“At first, everything was fine. We went on a hike, and he even let me climb the trees.” Morgan’s voice was shaking again as he continued, “I didn’t even realize what was happening at first, all he had done was brush up against me.”

Fran closed her eyes, she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear this, or if Derek was ready to tell it.

“When we went inside, he let me drink some of his wine, and I didn’t think much of it. I just thought he thought I was grown enough to drink. I kinda liked it.” Morgan winced, hearing all the warning his mother had given him about drinking underage, and wondering if she would scold him now. But she stayed silent. “After that, he said that we should go sw-swimming.” He tripped over the word. Talking was getting harder the longer he did it.

Noticing his nervousness, Fran spoke up, “you don’t have to tell me right now, if you don’t think you can.”

“But you deserve to know, Mama.” Morgan protested.

“I’ll know when you’re ready to tell me, not before.”

“But I-“

“Derek, you’ve already told me so much, and I couldn’t be prouder of you. It took a lot of strength to tell me what you did. But you don’t need to tell me everything right now. If you don’t think you will be able to, I can wait until you are.”

Morgan shifted in his mother’s hold, considering what she said. He was relieved that she was willing to wait for the whole story, he wasn’t sure he would be able to get through it. After a couple seconds, he sighed, “thanks Mama. For understanding.”

“I will always be there for you, you know that, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah I know.” 

“He’s lucky I found all this out after he was arrested. I can’t do what I want to him anymore.”

Morgan’s lips twitched with the beginning of a smile. After everything that he had been through, all that he had kept from his mother, she still was willing to do whatever she could to protect him, and for that he was grateful.

“I am so sorry for keeping this from you.”

“I told you that you have nothing to be sorry for, you were just doing what you thought was best. I’m sorry you felt like you couldn’t tell me.”

“It’s not that, Mama. I wanted to tell you, I just didn’t want to disappoint you.”

“You could never disappoint me, Derek, never.”

Morgan let out a breath of air, that could be considered a laugh, “not even when I almost burned down the house?”

Fran laughed as well, “not even then.”

Another beat went by before Fran spoke again, “I love you so much, Derek. I hope you know that.”

Morgan nodded, “I know.” 

Derek sat there, with his mom’s arms still wrapped around him for a while after that. Eventually, his eyes got heavy and he was happy to drift off, knowing that no matter what happened, his mother would still be there to pick up the pieces. That, even after everything, she still loved him just as much as before, if not more.

**Author's Note:**

> I didn’t really know how to end it, sorry if it’s kinda lame...


End file.
